New Bedford Farmers Market Bolstered By Big Grant

NEW BEDFORD — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has awarded nearly a quarter of a million dollars to the New Bedford Farmers Market.

Kim Ferreira, co-founder of Coastal Foodshed, says the three-year, $233,000 grant will allow the Farmers Market to bring on two additional part-time employees, which will allow the market to reach people who could greatly benefit from what they offer.

"Especially in those pockets of low-income and underserved, where those residents could really utilize their SNAP dollars with the healthy incentive program by visiting the Farmers Market," she said.

A robus marketing campaign will also be developed thanks to the grant, as well as videos that provide cooking instructions and spotlight area farmers, and training for farmers on how to better market their goods. Coastal Foodshed is currently taking over management of the New Bedford Farmers Market from Mass in Motion.

"So that we can diversify our funding opportunities,a nd have the ability to expand the markets, and allow them to grow," Ferreira said.

Part of that expansion is a weekly indoor winter market beginning Thursday, November 2 at the Times Square Building on Purchase Street from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

"You can get a variety of proteins, like chicken, beef, fish, eggs," Ferreira said. "There's also speciality products like baked goods, lotions, jams. So we've done a lot of work there to diversify."